Project Pool - Phase 2 (Little Pool in the Woods)

On the twenty ninth day of the sixth month in the year two thousand and eight we started the grueling task of establishing "The Pool". The task seemed quite challenging but our little minds couldn't begin to imagine the obstacle ahead of us. The first step was not to erect a pool in this open area of Earth but to establish a level and stable foundation for The Pool's construction . We shoveled and raked the grains of sand until sweat dripped off our noses and the leather of our gloves worn through. It was back breaking and time consuming but we were determined to have each grain of sand it's rightful place. The heat and physical work quickly wilted us down thus resulting in no further work to be completed. With an evenings rest and our hearts in high spirits we long to proceed back to the establishment of The Pool.

-An excert from the diary of Caitlin E. Spencer, a young pioneer woman


Ma laboring in the Earth.


Pa and myself.


Jessica and I leveling the grains of sand.


Pa using the large machine as I stand and ponder in amazement.

Future Red Hatters

What happens when a bunch of girls get together? You never know. Jessie and her friends Beyla, Kyla and Landon decided to play dress up with my Red Hat stuff. Then they had to do some posing......

Project Pool - Phase 1

This year we planned to put in a new pool (27 round with a deck). Papa got the dirt work done then it seems as if every time we started to work on the pool it either rained 3 or 4 inches or the wind blew 40 to 50 miles per hour.








Last weekend the weather was great and there was no rain in the forecast for several days so we set to work on getting the ground work finished for the pool.




Nanny on the tractor moving rocks


Papa & Caitlin


Caitlin & Jessie clearing out the smaller rocks



Phase 1 is completed and now we will start on Phase 2..... Stay tuned

Relay For Life

The last few months I've been participating in the Allen chapter of Relay for Life. We have sponsored a street dance, hamburger fry and Cutest Pet contest to raise money for cancer research. On May 30th we had a county wide fund raiser in Ada. It is an annual event and is held on the football field at ECU. Teams walk in honor of cancer survivors and in memory of those who have lost their fight. Each team has an activity (face painting, cake walk, moon jump, etc.) or sells something (homemade ice cream, icy drinks, hot dogs, nachos) to raise money. We start at 7:00 pm with calling the honor roll where survivors are introduced and then they walk the first lap, it was very moving to see all the survivors! Then the teams are called one by one on to the track to start walking. From 7:00 pm on Friday to 7:00 am on Saturday there is someone walking.


Team Allen walking together

An other fund raiser is the purchasing of the luminaries. You can buy one in honor of a survivor or in memory of someone. At 9:00 pm as each name is called out the luminaries are lite. The stadium lights are turned out and the only light is of the luminaries that circle the track. At the same time the word HOPE is spelled out in luminaries on the east side of the field. I took a picture - it is a little fuzzy - but you get the effect.



Allen raised a total of $6,822 and all the teams raised a total of $180,341 for cancer research! One day hopefully we will have a cure!

Pipe Line

Back in March OneOK purchased a right away on our north fence line so that they could run a liquid natural gas line. This pipeline connects with the main line that starts near Huston, Texas and ends in Wyoming. A crew came in and cut a path 50 feet wide, taking out a bunch of trees. Some of the wood was cut up and stacked for us to use this winter but most of it was shredded and plowed under. The machine they use to shred the trees is called the Beast!


Mike sitting beside the Beast.


The mouth of the Beast


Wood Chips Made by the Beast


Pipeline completed and ready for seeding

Looks like a county road! The girls and their friends really enjoy riding 4-wheelers on it!